Jambiya
جنبية · janbiya
Also known as: janbiya
A Yemeni dagger with a short curved blade and a central rib, worn tucked at the middle of the belt as part of male dress; the hilt reveals the wearer's status.
Quick Facts
About the weapon
The jambiya is a dagger with a short curved blade with a central rib, which arose in the Hadramaut region of Yemen. The Arabic name janbiya derives from janb, side, because it is worn at the side. From there it spread to other countries of the Middle East and the Arab world and to parts of South and Southeast Asia; it also reached the Ottoman Empire, Persia and India. We have not been able to establish the dating of its origin in the sources. The blade is of steel, sometimes Damascus or wootz. The most prized hilt, saifani, is made from rhinoceros horn, whose price reaches up to 1,500 dollars per kilogram; other hilts are made from various kinds of horn, wood, metal or the ivory of elephants and walruses. The scabbard, called asib, is usually wood covered with metal, leather or cloth. We have not found dimensions in the sources. By custom, the jambiya is to be drawn from its scabbard only in extreme cases of dispute. It commonly appears, however, on traditional occasions, for instance during dances. Men over 14 wear it as an item of dress, and the hilt reveals the wearer's status; it is also worn by judges, well-known merchants and businessmen. In the port cities of Aden and Mukalla, wearing a jambiya was banned under the rule of the Yemeni Socialist Party in South Yemen.
Parts of the weapon
- Scabbard — ʿasīb (العسيب)